Recommendation? Choosing a Folder!

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CustardDonut31

Joined
Mar 10, 2018
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4
Wow, what a can of worms to open. But here we go...

Looking at purchasing a new EDC, general purpose, fairly hardish use (uh oh another can of worms) folder. I'm one of those guys who spends more time than is probably necessary researching possible options and ends up going in circles. So, i need help deciding on and would like some additional input on knife choices. I know there is an endless amount of options but...

A basic rundown:
Work environment - Farm/ranch.
Usual knife tasks - Cutting rope/string, opening bags/sacks (made out of a plastic kind of canvas material), opening packages/boxes.
Will also need the knife to sometimes cut things like - zip/cable ties, hard plastic packaging.
Additional - although i don't treat my equipment badly, i don't want to be scared to use this knife fairly roughly and cut into tougher materials than just cardboard and paper.

Personal preferences:
Prefer clip/drop/spear points over tanto blades etc
plain edge
blade length under 4inch or under (dont like lugging a large knife around on my pants all day)
easy cleaning/maintenance
I prefer not to have to be constantly sharpening knives, so edge retention is a big positive but not at the cost of toughness as occasionally it will see some tougher use. Having said that i know that regular edge honing goes a long way. I just want a knife that will be sharp and durable!

I applaud you in getting this far if you have. My picks so far have been
Spyderco Para Military 2 (s30v, s110v)
Spyderco Para 3 (s30v, s110v)
Particularly like the simplistic design and ease of cleaning on these knives.

I was interested in and have been leaning toward s110v steel but i am unsure if it may be a little more brittle than s30v in some circumstances? Possibly s110v may be better with a rougher ground edge than s30v with a more polished edge?
Also i am not sure that i've gone too far down one line of thinking with steel and ruled out other good steels.
Thanks for reading if you had the patience, its greatly appreciated!
 
Buck 110
420HC (standard) S30V (Custom Shop)
5160 (Copper and Clad)
SK Blades also have higher end steels, but I do not remember which ones.
 
Sodbuster.

Because this Traditional subforum has canons regarding what knives may be discussed, you are not likely to receive much response one way or the other to your Spyderco idea. The responses here are going to come from the universe of traditional knives. That means mostly slipjoints, a few lockbacks like the 110, and very little in the way of exotic steels. If you really want a one-handed opener, your inquiry is better directed to the general knife discussion forum.

In any discussion of traditional working knives, the Sodbuster pattern comes first to mind. Case makes them in two sizes, with your choice of CV carbon steel, or their Tru-sharp stainless. A lot of other companies make versions of the Sodbuster, some locking, some not. For an in-between size, the Maserin Plow comes in D2 steel. GEC offers this pattern in a couple of sizes, with 1095 steel.
 
Collector Knives has several "Modern Traditional" Barlow knives made by Lionsteel and there all useing M390 steel. They might be a bit small for you but CK is also releasing a Easy Open Jack made by Viper knives also with M390 and a bit bigger if I'm not mistaken. I believe these are all ok to discuss freely here. I've owned one of the First run of the Roundhead Barlows that came out and it cut way above its weight class IMHO.
 
steels.Its pretty much three choices. bad steel, fit for purpose steel, better steel. Choose one of the latter two categories. Don't buy steel that rusts for an EDC knife.

Now that's out of the way, there are heaps of good choices for an EDC hard use knife and Youtube reviews are simply the best way to get information. But I also suggest buy a couple and see which one you prefer, if you buy a well known knife they are re-sellable.

For some unexplained reason I can't stop collecting traditionals, but have stopped at the Buck Marksman for my GP hard use knife. It's an unusual knife but I find it robust and it has a certain character that others like the paramilitary lack.

nvZrPWK.jpg
 
Ii my first post, I did not mention multi-blades based on the knives you mentioned.
Thinking about it, if you would consider a multi-blade, check out the Rough Rider "Half Hawk" (Sheepsfoot main, pen secondary) and their large Sunfish (spear point main, pen secondary). They have two versions of the Sunfish. The "Zombie Nick" is a sleeve board, the Outdoorsman/ Smooth Tobacco Bone is an equal end.
If you ever have to untie rope, consider one if their Marlin Spike knives. (Sheepsfoot main, Marlin Spike secondary) The Marlin Spike has a bail (doubles as a lock for the spike) so you can use a lanyard to prevent loss if you drop it.
Victorinox makes a nice 30 inch or so chain lanyard.
These three knives are made for heavy use. The sheepsfoot would be an excellent choice for the uses you mention.
 
I think that Copper and Clad is a forum approved dealer. Anyway, they have a special edition Buck 110 that comes with an aluminum frame and Micarta handles so it will only weigh 4.1oz, and it has the boss heat-treated s30v blade, so it will give you better performance than any other company's s30v. I think that lock back might as well be a fixed blade, so this knife should do everything that you want. And it's only a hundred bucks.
 
Since you didn't specify that you're looking for a traditional folder I'll move this the the General Knife Discussion Forum. I think you'll get more responses that meet your requirements.
 
PM2 and Manix 2 are great. If you're going to be cutting tougher stuff, I'd go with a good carbon steel for extra toughness over the super stainless powder steels. M4 and 52100 come to mind.
 
One option that has been offered for questions like yours is a ZT 0909. It was recently discontinued, but some retailers may still have one in stock.

Another option in the tough no nonsense knife choice is cold steel. They use cts xhp in most of their current lineup, which has good edge retention, but is still easier to resharpen than s110v would be. I recommend the recon 1 drop point, incredible value for the price.
 
Could 2 knives work for you?

1. Spyderco Tasman SE for the top set of tasks? It’s not easy to sharpen but the serrated edge holds up really well. There are specifically sized ceramic rods made for sharpening. Under 2 oz.
2. Spyderco Military for the rest? Under 4.5 oz.
 
CustardDonut31 said:
. . .

A basic rundown:
Work environment - Farm/ranch.
Usual knife tasks - Cutting rope/string, opening bags/sacks (made out of a plastic kind of canvas material), opening packages/boxes.
Will also need the knife to sometimes cut things like - zip/cable ties, hard plastic packaging.
Additional - although i don't treat my equipment badly, i don't want to be scared to use this knife fairly roughly and cut into tougher materials than just cardboard and paper.

. . .
Click to expand...

I've been looking for an EDC for the same uses. After much research and indecision, I finally decided and just recently purchased a Benchmade 940 Osborne. It was beyond my original budget, but it ticked all the right boxes. Here are some of the reasons I chose it:

1. Size and form factor. It takes up very little room in a pocket but has a very practical blade length and overall size. There's plenty of handle to get a good grip, but it's slim in width and depth and the length is less than 4.5". It's also very light (less than 3 ounces) but feels plenty substantial and well made.

2. Axis lock. The axis lock makes for effortless one handed opening and closing. There are plenty of times I'm out in the barn or field and have one hand already engaged in some task when I realize I need the knife. The axis lock makes it easy to pull the knife out and open it with a flick of the wrist, and then close it just as easily.

3. Ambidextrous. I'm left-handed, so a completely ambidextrous knife is a big plus. But I'm so used to carrying knives clipped to my right pocket, I wanted the option to go either way once I get settled in with this knife as my EDC.

4. Reverse Tanto Blade: I'm intrigued by it.

Bottom line (for me) is that I've never had a really good knife, and I was smitten by the 940 Osborne. So I decided to blow up the budget and go all in on this one.

Good luck to you. There are LOTS of good knives out there that provide a lot of value for the dollar.

P.S.: This is my very first post here on BF.
 
Camillus said:
steels.Its pretty much three choices. bad steel, fit for purpose steel, better steel. Choose one of the latter two categories. Don't buy steel that rusts for an EDC knife.
Click to expand...

Is this a dig at carbon steel? Much better to carry it daily, so you can be aware of its condition and take the easy steps necessary to ward off rust. It is more likely to rust if it sits on a shelf, unattended.
 
PM2 or Manix 2 would be great options.
Native 5 or Shaman would be great also.

M4 would be my steel reco unless you specifically want a stainless.
 
Going with your (OP) selections so far, I would go PM2 either s30v or 110v would be great, however if I were in your situation working on a ranch/farm and in that size range I would go Bradford Guardian 3 (or 3.5) in M390 or 3v. It's a fixed blade but very easy to carry, i'm a folder guy myself but if I had to use my knife all day in a ranch or farm environment for fairly heavy tasks I would just use a fixed blade.
 
- Benchmade 908BK-1501
- Benchmade Custom Shop Full Size Grip/Barrage in M4
- Spyderco Military/Manix 2 in Cruwear, M4 or 52100

Cruwear will be the more stainless option, but this is at the cost of some edge retention. Cruwear is near S30V in edge retention, but is tougher and less stain resistant.
 
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